View Full Version : i need advice on college, degrees, and careers.
BlurOfSerenity
1/21/06, 01:34am
i'm a college dropout, much due to the fact that i have no idea what i want to do with my life and therefore don't know what to major in or even focus on.
i'm getting to the point where i'm wondering if just majoring in something that sounds interesting, but is not necessarily something i'd want to do as a career, is a good idea. i'm thinking this cos at least i'd be a college grad with a degree.
what i'm scared of is that i'll find something i want to do for a career, but will be turned down because my degree is not in that field.
also, if i do this, should i seek a 4 year college or should a 2 year community college be ok? or does it all depend? i've seen job requirements with 4 years of college as one of them, but is that true of most jobs? i feel like i can barely do 2 years, let alone 4.
does anyone have advice on this? good idea? bad idea? etc?
start off in a 2 year college and take a liberal arts program. take a variety of classes and see which ones you like/are good at and go from there. there is the added bonus that the local community colleges are relatively cheap and offer a wide variety of subjects. regardless of your eventual major, you'll have to slog through a few courses that will bore you to tears or be the equivalent of chewing on tin foil, but they must be done.
dont worry about not knowing what you want to do. some people know what they want to do when they are in elementary school. others, like me, dont figure it out till much later in life. (i started nursing school at age 30) it'll come to you.
(i started nursing school at age 30)
Helloooooooooooooo Nurse ;)
Get a haircut & get a job. That'll teach ya to be so picky.
Get a haircut & get a job. That'll teach ya to be so picky.
I think you're suppose to be giving that advice to yourself...about 6-7months ago :p
Which, the haircut or one of the many jobs?
Here's the real deal.
do what EVER it takes right now
to get ANY degree (four year)
(makes it cake to go back and get an Masters later heh)
Firstly it will make you into a better hoo-man bean
and secondly
it will vastly influence the destiny of yer life
influence you in ways you can not begin to fathom
this opportunity is rapidly slipping away...
(how long will yer mommy be there for ya?)
yeah I got me only kid just starting his second semester…
a course he was a prep school grad and all
but still…
unclehobart
1/21/06, 08:37am
Drop out of society and become a stripper, get hooked on partying 24/7, live fast, die fast, write a book about it, go on Oprah, clean up, retire.
Which, the haircut or one of the many jobs?
Well, you did both right?? So you musta been giving yourself the same advice even if it was all in your head :p
For once Winky makes sense. Find something you are interested in, even if it's not what you want to do for a career. Pick up a business minor, depending on the school you will probably only need 15-21 credits to earn it. Drink some beers, hit the gravity bong, and there's college.
For once Winky makes sense. Find something you are interested in, even if it's not what you want to do for a career. Pick up a business minor, depending on the school you will probably only need 15-21 credits to earn it. Drink some beers, hit the gravity bong, and there's college.
You make it seem like a walk in the park...*wonders when the walk in the park is gonna start*...I've only got 3 more months so it better hurry its ass up!! Up til now it's been anything but. Atleast around here, if you're not dedicated to something you're not gonna do well because it takes to much out of you...my advice is to not do it if you don't love it...why waste the money, time and effort??
I did walk through the park, but that's because it was on my way to campus.
*walked through the park
School is easy, BUT, you must have discipline. Work when you must work and party when you must party.
ash, I always knew what I wanted: math or puters. So I kinda went for both. I really don't have any experience on your situation, so my advice might not be correct. I think you should analize yourself and try to isolate that group of subjects related to certain science/career you are most interested about. Perhaps you read a lot about those subjects but you haven't thought about it. Just try to study something related to what you like.
I never went to college but high school was super easy for me. I made good enough grades and never studied. I was always high or fdrunk or both. In retrospect, I wasted the whole thing. I could have had scholarships etc. I just didn't care.
People always say that college is the time for drinking and experimenting with drugs and sexuality but that sounds so assinine to me. This is when you are PAYING for your college. Get that shit out of your system before you waste your money.
I hope my kids will take a year off between high school and college to work and party and generally get a dose of real life before I start shelling out for higher education.
Nix, just do what my son did.
Got involved in the ocean program during high school. Became certified as a beach, open ocean, and pool life guard, first responder, first aid, and CPR. Graduate high school at 18 years old, get a job on a resort as "Beach Security" (because it's a liability to call them 'life guards') and gross $3000 a month. No, that's not a typo. The kid grosses $3000 a month. His take-home per pay period is $1100 (Rude awakening for him .. welcome to the adult world :D). He's got full benefits (medical, dental, drug, vision, chiropractic, alternative care, life insurance, paid vacation, paid sick leave), belongs to the union, works on the beach 10 hours a day. Not only that, but he works for the resort my father was the Chief of Security for - their very first employee ever, before the resort was even built back in the early 80's, and the present chief of security was his employee ... and since my father was very well loved, he's treated really well there.
Punk ass kid.
:D
His take-home per pay period is $1100
Young & unencumbered....damn those day sucked...can I have 'em back?
Nix, just do what my son did.
:D
Kinda late for me since I graduate in April :p
greenfreak
1/21/06, 07:18pm
ash, if you think of the jobs you had and the aspects of those jobs you enjoyed, you might come up with something. Even if you don't, choose a major that interests you and go with it. I don't know anyone who's college major matches their current job. I've seen employers require a certain type of degree but that is usually in high-end IT jobs, marketing, things of that sort.
The kid grosses $3000 a month. His take-home per pay period is $1100
Does he get paid twice a month? Reason I ask is this... I get paid twice a month too... I normally make less than $1,500 per paycheck, but the last time I got close, but was still $163 below that, (overtime because I was putting together a special section) I had a higher percentage than that taken out of my check. That's without even having to pay union dues.
yeah, he gets paid twice a month ... the least he'll get for 40 hour weeks is $1500 per pay period .. more if the pay period is 96 hours ...
I'm really happy for him .. he's doing what he loves. He gets time every day for 'water exercises' and though he can't surf any time he wants to anymore, he is, at least, in his element. And he gets to watch bikini clad rich girls LOL.
He called me this afternoon. He misses me :( .. I miss that punk ass kid too.
ekahs retsam
1/22/06, 02:55am
If you like college stay with it because once you have your pre-reqs. finished it isn’t that hard to change your mind even after you get a degree. If you get a 4 year and decide you hate "insert degree area" you can always go back for a year or two later in life and get a second degree by transferring the undergrad credits you already have to a new degree field.
If you hate school than stop, don't waste the money and time. if you have a skill and experience some companies will pay for you to finish your classes. This may take longer but it is a cheaper system and you do it at your pace.
Here's the real deal.
do what EVER it takes right now
to get ANY degree (four year)
(makes it cake to go back and get an Masters later heh)
*Gasp* He's right.
It also teaches you to finish what you start (something I wish I'd learned at your age), and even if you're not studying in the field you eventually decide on, it gives your life direction. Purpose is nice but direction is far more important.
One more point: A Bachelor of Science in general makes it easier to get work than a Bachlor of Arts, but any 4-year degree makes you more employable to human resources people. Ask HomeLAN.
If you like college stay with it because once you have your pre-reqs. finished it isn’t that hard to change your mind even after you get a degree. If you get a 4 year and decide you hate "insert degree area" you can always go back for a year or two later in life and get a second degree by transferring the undergrad credits you already have to a new degree field.
If you hate school than stop, don't waste the money and time. if you have a skill and experience some companies will pay for you to finish your classes. This may take longer but it is a cheaper system and you do it at your pace.
I dunno about other places but around here once you graduate you have to start over again...like, I will graduate with a Bacholar of Engineering in Civil Engineering in April, if I wanted a minor in something I would have to complete the requirements for that minor before graduating. Once I have my degree I have to start all over again to get another one.
I dunno about other places but around here once you graduate you have to start over again...like, I will graduate with a Bacholar of Engineering in Civil Engineering in April, if I wanted a minor in something I would have to complete the requirements for that minor before graduating. Once I have my degree I have to start all over again to get another one.
At Indiana it depends. I graduated with a bachelors in telecommunications. If I wanted to get a bachelors in computer science (which is in the same "school"), I would only have to complete any additional requirements, so mostly major classes and probably a few math classes. If I wanted to get a bachelors in finance (which is in the business school) I would have to start over.
At Indiana it depends. I graduated with a bachelors in telecommunications. If I wanted to get a bachelors in computer science (which is in the same "school"), I would only have to complete any additional requirements, so mostly major classes and probably a few math classes. If I wanted to get a bachelors in finance (which is in the business school) I would have to start over.
Even if you actually graduated and received your diploma?? My roommate is doing an extra semester, she will have all her requirements for an English degree after her 4 years but she wants a minor in history so she can't apply for graduation until she has that completed...both are the school of humanities.
Even if you actually graduated and received your diploma?? My roommate is doing an extra semester, she will have all her requirements for an English degree after her 4 years but she wants a minor in history so she can't apply for graduation until she has that completed...both are the school of humanities.Thats crazy. You're saying she would have to go back and take the English Comp, Western Civ, all that crap?
I'm with the majority here though Ash, get the degree. Today's job market is quite a bit different than it was even ten years ago. A degree will get you in a lot more doors than without one. Even if it's not in the major, you will notice alot of jobs require a four year degree, not necesarily in the field the job is even in. The CIO (Chief Info Officer) at my place right now has a degree in Visual Arts. The three under him have degrees in History, Graphic design and I think English. Seems nuts that of the four people in charge of the IS dept, none have a degree in IS, but it happens often.
Even if you actually graduated and received your diploma?? My roommate is doing an extra semester, she will have all her requirements for an English degree after her 4 years but she wants a minor in history so she can't apply for graduation until she has that completed...both are the school of humanities.
Different situation. You are describing picking up a minor, not a second bachelors. At this point I could not add a minor to my degree, though I could get a second bachelors (with a minor if I wanted) just by taking the required classes.
Different situation. You are describing picking up a minor, not a second bachelors. At this point I could not add a minor to my degree, though I could get a second bachelors (with a minor if I wanted) just by taking the required classes.
hmmmm I dunno how that would work then.
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